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F16CrewChief — Red Devil's Phantom at AMARC
Published: 2012-01-21 15:40:13 +0000 UTC; Views: 740; Favourites: 22; Downloads: 32
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Description
F-4S-53-MC, 155844 assigned to VMFA-232, MAG-24 based at MCAS Kaneohe Bay seen on the AMARC recieving line in May 1993.The 01 modex number denotes this aircraft was the VMFA-232 Squadron Commander's jet. Note the unusual camoflauge scheme, especially on the tail.
This aircraft was originally built as an F-4J-36-MC.
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Comments: 11
That's not in any way related to the Ferris experimental schemes, is it?
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No, probably not. It may have been a temporary scheme for an exercise.
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VMFA 232 flew with Carrier Air Group 11 during my 2007 deployment aboard USS NIMITZ (I was with the Carrier Strike Group Staff). They flew the F/A-18A+ version - having traded in their F/A-18C aircraft (newer version) because the A birds had fewer traps on them then the C birds (weird in a way). Among the oldest aircraft in the Air Group, their birds required plenty of maintenance during the cruise.
A Navy Carrier Air Wing often has a Marine Corps squadron in the Wing - this goes back to even before WWII.
We still use the modex number system you describe - 00 denotes the "CAG" (Carrier Air Group commander - which is sometime a USMC Colonel) and 01 is the squadron commanders bird. Even though Navy aircraft will have pilots/NFOs names painted on them, they aren't assigned birds. However, CAG usually flies the bird with his name on it!
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That is what I thought. The Marine units geberally only use the two digit numbers when they are assigned to the Marine Air Wings (shore based). Did you see my shots of the VMFA-323 jets assigned to CVW-9 [link] and [link] ?
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Those are really nice shots!
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Thanks! Glad you liked them!
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I thought that the Squadron Commander's jet was always the '00' jet?
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That is the group or higher. In the USMC, the Sq Commander is usually "01" when they are shore based. That would probably change when they are assigned to a CVW on the boat.
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That was the case "Back in the day". They have have changed as of now...
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Yeah, that's kinda what I figured.
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